This new incarnation of Power Man does not stand a snowball's chance in hell. Even with star writer Fred van Lente on words, this character lacks a long term "hook".
Don't get me wrong, this inaugural issue wasn't too bad. It had all kinds of "can't miss" elements like ninjas, Shadowland references, Spider-Man like back story and a little bit edginess. So what's not to like you ask? Well, I personally don't think this new character can survive without all of these gimmicks.
The story ends with Victor Alvarez attacking Luke Cage screaming something about revenge and his father. This is a perfect example of what I was mentioning above. The new Power Man needs Luke Cage in order to have a story. While this is fine and dandy for filling the pages of a 4 issue mini-series, it doesn't bode well for creating character longevity. In short, the new Power Man isn't interesting enough to stand alone.
Now I could be eating crow over these statements in a year’s time. In fact, I hope I am. I'd love to see some fresh blood in the Marvel U. But if Iron Fist, Moon Knight, She-Hulk and Ghost Rider all can't hold their own solo series, I'm pretty sure this character won't either.
I plan on finishing the mini. The story was intriguing enough. They even included a great SAGA Power Man and Iron Fist section in the back. I'm just not so sure we need another Power Man.